Hodges # 9500

Caterpillar foods:  bore into stalks of Tall Sunflower  (Helianthus giganteus)  (Michigan Natural Features Inventory)

This species is very similar to Papaipema necropina.  These are the differences noted by Forbes (The Lepidoptera Of New York And Neighboring States Vol. 3): maritima…usually larger (over 40mm), little or no violet tint on outer third; pm usually a rather distinct dark line; necopina…usually smaller (under 40mm), with strong subterminal violet shading, pm usually a mere color boundary.  (Thanks to Merrill Lynch for this reference.)

According to that description, this should be P. maritima.

Some specimens I’ve seen which are labeled P. maritima have a pm line which has a sharp jog – which this doesn’t have.  The Michigan Natural Features Inventory states that: “The forewings (i.e., upper wings) are grayish brown or dusky brown in color, with a white dusting to form very fine white scales, much narrower than the normal ones, gathering to form a fine postmedial line (third line in from the outer margin) which is sharply bent than almost straight to the bottom margin of the forewing.”

So I’m putting these in as possible Papaipema maritima, but I’m not completely sure.  The first moth (from 10/22/12) has a dark pm line, with no jog.  The second (from 9/20/2012) has the jog in the pm line, but the line is not as defined.

10/22/2012

10/22/2012

9/20/2012

9/20/2012